Cloud Babies
An empathy-building and sensitively told story about navigating hardships for children aged 4, 5, 6, 7
Published on 5. October 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
40 pages
978-1-5295-1270-0 (ISBN)
Description
"This beautiful book reminds us all to take a moment to enjoy the wonder of our skies and our children's imaginations." Sunday Times
"An important book which will be undoubtedly a great comfort to children and families facing similar difficulties." Books Ireland
From Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl, comes a truly compelling, empathy-building book based on real life events in illustrator Chris Judge's own life.
Erin's favourite game is spotting animals in the clouds with her mum and dad - everything from foxes and polar bears to little rabbits! She calls them her 'cloud babies'. One day, Erin falls very ill. She has to spend a long time in hospital but she still manages to find comfort and joy in spying cloud babies through the windows with her new hospital friends.
When Dr Bernadette tells Erin that even though there would still be some "hospital days", she can now go home, she is so excited. But being back at school is not at all what she expected. So much has changed. Erin must reconcile the comforting, safe world she has built for herself inside the hospital with the world outside that has now become unfamiliar to her. But with her Mum and Dad's love and guidance, and with the support of her school teacher and friends, Erin realizes that by sharing her world, and her cloud babies, she will find happiness in being herself once more. Sensitively told and vibrantly brought to life on the page, this is a truly powerful source of guidance, acknowledgement and, ultimately, comfort.
"Atmospheric and will make any reader smile." Irish Independent
"This touching picture-book account of imagination, illness and recovery draws on Judge's own experience of supporting a child through treatment for leukaemia." Guardian
"It is sure to encourage readers to take a moment to find their own cloud babies in the sky." Irish Examiner
"An important book which will be undoubtedly a great comfort to children and families facing similar difficulties." Books Ireland
From Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl, comes a truly compelling, empathy-building book based on real life events in illustrator Chris Judge's own life.
Erin's favourite game is spotting animals in the clouds with her mum and dad - everything from foxes and polar bears to little rabbits! She calls them her 'cloud babies'. One day, Erin falls very ill. She has to spend a long time in hospital but she still manages to find comfort and joy in spying cloud babies through the windows with her new hospital friends.
When Dr Bernadette tells Erin that even though there would still be some "hospital days", she can now go home, she is so excited. But being back at school is not at all what she expected. So much has changed. Erin must reconcile the comforting, safe world she has built for herself inside the hospital with the world outside that has now become unfamiliar to her. But with her Mum and Dad's love and guidance, and with the support of her school teacher and friends, Erin realizes that by sharing her world, and her cloud babies, she will find happiness in being herself once more. Sensitively told and vibrantly brought to life on the page, this is a truly powerful source of guidance, acknowledgement and, ultimately, comfort.
"Atmospheric and will make any reader smile." Irish Independent
"This touching picture-book account of imagination, illness and recovery draws on Judge's own experience of supporting a child through treatment for leukaemia." Guardian
"It is sure to encourage readers to take a moment to find their own cloud babies in the sky." Irish Examiner
Reviews / Votes
From two of our best children's writers and illustrators, Eoin Colfer and Chris Judge, this beautiful book reminds us all to take a moment to enjoy the wonder of our skies and our children's imaginations. Buy a copy, read it in a garden or park, and spend some time looking up, to find your own cloud babies. * Sunday Times, "The 60 children's books you should buy this Christmas as chosen by the booksellers of Ireland" * Two giants of Irish children's books come together to create this engaging story [...] The illustrations, inspired by Judge's A Daily Cloud Instagram page which he started during the Covid lockdowns, are wonderfully atmospheric and will make any reader smile. * Children's Book Highlights, Irish Independent * This touching picture-book account of imagination, illness and recovery draws on Judge's own experience of supporting a child through treatment for leukaemia. * the Guardian, "Children and teens roundup" * featured in The School Librarian's list of "Editor's Picks for empathy" * The School Librarian * The clever cloud illustrations will make any reader smile. * Irish Independent, 56 cracking reads to keep kids entertained this Christmas *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 5 to 9 years
Dimensions
Height: 286 mm
Width: 246 mm
Thickness: 4 mm
Weight
222 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5295-1270-0 (9781529512700)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Eoin Colfer is the New York Times bestselling author of the children's fantasy series Artemis Fowl. He was the Irish Children's Laureate, the winner of the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, and won the Irish Children's Book of the Year Award for his story Imaginary Fred, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children. You can visit him online at www.eoincolfer.com and on Instagram as @eoincolfer.
Chris Judge is an artist and illustrator who lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. Chris's first picture book, The Lonely Beast, won the Specsavers Irish Children's Book of the Year Award, and was followed by The Brave Beast and The Snow Beast, before publishing Tiny and Teeny with Walker. Chris can be found online at chrisjudge.com, on Twitter as @chrisjudge and on Instagram as @chrispjudge.
Chris Judge is an artist and illustrator who lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. Chris's first picture book, The Lonely Beast, won the Specsavers Irish Children's Book of the Year Award, and was followed by The Brave Beast and The Snow Beast, before publishing Tiny and Teeny with Walker. Chris can be found online at chrisjudge.com, on Twitter as @chrisjudge and on Instagram as @chrispjudge.